EMERGENCY – Disinfection and Cleaning of Water Systems

One of our elite, cooling tower specialists project managed the largest cooling tower clean up in the history of NY: CO-OP City Power Plant (Bronx, NY).

In compliance with the NYC Cooling Tower Regulations, a cooling tower must be cleaned whenever routine monitoring and inspections indicate a need for cleaning, but no less than twice a year. It is required to specify both cleaning protocol and personnel safety protective measures. To facilitate cooling tower cleaning, water contact areas such as the basin, sump, fill, spray nozzles and fittings, drift eliminators, and/or intake louvres must be properly accessed or removed.

Decontamination Process of Your Cooling Tower Water System

To avoid the spread of contaminants and disease, an individual with a NY State certified commercial pesticides license (7G) must decontaminate your system. He or she should follow a very strict and highly regulated procedure. To begin the process, chemical treatments will be stopped and all fans will be turned off, except for the water treatment pump. One effective approach would be to drain the system (if possible) and then add a low foaming, non-ionic/anionic dispersant into the water system to help loosen the bacteria and debris; this dispersant should circulate from 1 to 2 hours. Next step, adjust the pH t0 7.0-7.6 and then add sodium hypochlorite. Achieve 10 ppm of free chlorine and then maintain this residual for 1-2 hours.

After the 2- hour chlorine contact time, the centrifugal pump will be turned off and the system will be dechlorinated to a safe level and then your entire cooling tower water system (all piping and the tower basin) will be drained. While your cooling tower is draining, the internals of your cooling tower (i.e., basin strainers, walls, fill, basin) will be power washed and thoroughly cleaned, including removing all mist eliminators/distribution deck panels, nozzles and orifices to clean away debris.

During the cooling tower cleaning process, your system should be inspected and any needed repairs are noted.

Once the cleaning is completed, your system is refilled and re-dosed to 5 ppm as free chlorine. After this second chlorine dose, your water treatment program will be restarted and your mechanical contractors or building staff, also present that day, will then ensure that the cooling tower water system is turned on properly.

NYC Cooling Tower Inspections and Services is also your most reliable resource for an emergency disinfection of your domestic water system (drinking water). Our project managers have participated and been successful in the remediation of over 1,000 disinfections in NYC metro area.